Payments in lieu of taxes for exempt properties in Cedar Grove?

So last night I was awake till midnight completing my PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes) assignments. PILOTs are voluntary payments made by tax-exempt properties as a substitute for property taxes.  Over the last decade PILOTs have been used in at least 117 municipalities in at least 18 states.

My assignment included comparing several tax exempt entities in various towns across Essex County, New Jersey. A quick peek at Cedar Grove revealed that as of 2012 we have $ 204,623,391 dollars of exempt property. This roughly equates to 9% of the total assessed property value in the city.

Even though tax exempt properties represent a small fraction of the total taxable property value, I feel that Cedar Grove should have a PILOT program. These exempt organizations which include hospitals, religious institutions, universities and other nonprofits etc., take advantage of several municipal services (fire/ambulance, road maintenance, snow removal). It is only fair to request them to contribute towards the cost of these services!

Feel free to share your thoughts:)